Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Lula's Davos 2026 presence built slowly before erupting in the final hours. The first five days of the forum produced just 42 quotes as the Brazilian president maintained a low profile. Then January 23-24 delivered 395 quotes as Lula unleashed sharp criticism of Trump's approach to international institutions.

The quotes reveal an uncompromising multilateralist stance. Lula attacked Trump for proposing to 'create a new UN where only he is the owner' and declared 'the UN charter is being torn.' He defended multilateralism against what he termed 'the law of the jungle' in global affairs, while advocating for BRICS cooperation to 'safeguard peace and stability.'

This confrontational messaging produced predictably polarized sentiment. At 60% positive and 20% negative, Lula's coverage was more divisive than peers like Johann Wadephul (78.6% positive, 0% negative) or Nara Chandrababu Naidu (100% positive). The 20% negative rate was the highest among his immediate peer group of world leaders with similar quote volumes.

Media coverage reflected regional interests. Brazilian outlets (TV Pampa, Poder360, O TEMPO) provided extensive domestic coverage, while Latin American publications (La Silla Rota, Excelsior, El Comercio Peru) amplified the regional perspective. Deutsche Welle's strong presence (25 quotes) indicates European interest in the developing-world challenge to U.S. hegemony narratives.